Youth civic activism in Tallinn and Helsinki

1
Youth civic activism in Tallinn and Helsinki
2

• Aim
• Description and comparison of youth
  socio-political involvement in Tallinn and
  Helsinki
• 15-25 year olds
• 2 capitals, distance of 80 km between them
• Quite different history and present day
• Very dense contacts and mobility/tourism between
  the cities

• Data
• EUYOUPART survey
• November-December 2004
• 331 cases in Tallinn
• 132 cases in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa
• 15-25 year olds

3
Interest in politics

• Between 40 and 50 very or fairly interested in
  politics
• Below 20 not at all interested in politics
• gt 80 follows political news at least weekly?
  youth well aware of what goes on in society, from
  local to global
• No big difference even though different history
  and social settings now

4
Voting

• Voters
• More interested in politics
• Parents and best friend vote frequently
• Higher level of education
• More frequent discussion about politics with
  parents, partner, teachers colleagues and
  friends (Helsinki)
• Involvement in student self-government being
  still in education (Helsinki)

5
Electoral activism

• Low involvement, compared to voting
• The easiest mode most popular (political
  discussion)
• Higher percentage reported in Helsinki

6
Civic activism

• Similar popularity-ratings
• Notable differences
• In Helsinki, higher percentage reported
  participation
• Signing petition, distributing flyers,
  demonstrating
• Determinants
• Interested in politics
• Motivated by desire to make the World a better
  place change things that bother you find time
  and energy for politics
• Involved in student self-government
• Political parties perceived psychologically close
  
• Tallinn support from parents
• Helsinki support from friends

7
Political consumerism

• Several times more popular in Helsinki
• Structural difference
• Helsinki equal popularity, Tallinn buycotting
  3x more popular
• No big boycott-campaigns in Estonia, some
  buycott-campaigns

8

• Leisure and self-development most popular
• Sports, cultural, youth organizations
• Higher civic involvement in Helsinki
• Charity, animal rights, environmental, immigrant
  organizations
• Differently structured opportunities, different
  mobilization
• Higher political party involvement in Tallinn
• A channel of socio-economic mobility for
  materialistically minded youth ?
• A strong organizations amongst others different
  organizational profiles of the countries ?

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
Summary

• Youth interested in politics and follows politics
• A good reason to expect active citizens in their
  adult years
• Voting the most popular way to participate in
  politics
• Organizational involvement high in leisure and
  self-development type of activities
• Socially and politically concerned most active
  youth
• Socio-political activism higher in Helsinki than
  in Tallinn
• Civic activism higher in Helsinki